Can exhauster



3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

V i g K June 27, 1933. F. B. BARTELS' CAN EXHAUSTER Filed Jan.. 15, 1932 gmm r MW Rh MLUQN NY b June 27, 1933. B, BARTELS CAN EXHAUSTER Filed Jan. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. B. BARTELS 1,915,482

CAN EXHAUSTER June 27, 1933.

Filed Jan. 15, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y INVENTOR. g 6%. 6 m flfigfiwys.

Patented June 27, I933 1 9 1 82 Arsr FREDERICK B. BARTELS, OF SAN LEANDBO, CALIFORNIA CAN EXHAUSTER Application filed January 15, 1932. Serial No. 586,839.

This invention is a can exhauster'and has rality of anti-parallel metal belts, whereby alspecial reference to a device which is adapted ternate belts run in the same direction, to exhaust occluded air and gases from the the l elts being transversely aligned and suitliquids or syrups after various fruits, vegeably supported throughout their operating tables, or other foods are placed in cans prelength, and positively driven by means of paratory to scaling or capping. the aligning and supporting element cooper- The main object of the invention is to proating with grooves formed in the pulleys, vide an efiicient and simply constructed matransfer means for transferring cans from chine for exhausting occluded gases from the one belt to the other, intake and discharge in liquids or syrups of fruits and vegetables means for the cans and steam heating means after being placed in the cans and before sealand steam jets directed against the sides of i mpping the cans, the machine being fully enclosed and Another object of the invention is to use provided with driving means. metal belts for conveying the Canned fO l Three belts are shown in the drawings, through the exhauster. however it will be understood that any nuin- A further object of the invention is to plober of belts may be used and they may be of vide a can exhauster which will have unusual any d i d l th th f h hi capacity as related to the size of the machine. may b d f l t li it d it A Still further Object of the mver'ltlon 15 As indicated by the arrows on Fig. 1, belts to Provide P means for g h 15 and 16 run toward the left While belt 1 metal belts and anti-friction bearings for its runs t d th i ht i support. The belts are preferably made of corrosion 0th?! l and advantages of the f resistant metal such as aluminum bronze, i W 1 bgpomi appmient as h following stainless steel or nickel chromium iron alloys P d (mine drawlngs f mi g although where corrosion is not a factor, ora P 0151115 speclficablon and m Whlcll dinary sheet steel, brass or other metals may lar reference characters are used to designate be used similar parts throughout the several views The Belts are made endless y W91 g or m $151,111 (111C111 other known means and are provided with W Fig. lisatop planview of the invention. teem or riders 18 1 m f Fi 2 is an enlar ed fra mentary view of 1C1 Come Vn y Orm b b c transverse reinforcements for the belt.

one end of Fig. i, showing the method of ml 18 J rfi I l transferring the cans from one belt to the 1 1e 11C erg Space clenty c OSL to revent appreciable sag in the belt beother and the route traversed by the cans.

o u I I I u v ll 1 7 e k L 6 t 1* ig. 3 is a lon itudinal sectional elevation t ti f d igw and consist eaci o a leaf mem e1 9 ant r 1 i 1 or one naif of tne machine.

r is a sectionalview through one Ofi a body member 20 riveted togethei and to h b teeth taken on li 4 f Fig. 5 the belt as indicated at 21. Sockets are Fi 5 i a ti t k on li 5 5 of formed in the body member 20 to receive 19 Fig 4 the balls 22 which are freely rotatable there- Fi 6 i a d t il i f one k t in and ride against the head member 19. groove A ball retaining plate 23 is secured to the Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the invention. o y member 20 y means of Screws P Fi 8 i a l i h i th dj t mitting replacement of worn balls, the aperv abl can guides which are adapted to accomturesan plate 23 being ust large enough to 95 modate the machine to various sizes of cans. Pefmlt full Otat- O Of the all- T o S dQS Fig. 9 is a view of the can raising cam. of the riders are arcuately formed and con- Fig. 10 is a modification of Fig. 9 showing verge toward the lower end as shown at 24, a roller replacing the cam of Fig. 9. forming teeth which suitably engage in the The invention consists primarily of a plu grooves 25, for positively driving the belt. 10G

Tracks 26 which may be formed of angles as indicated are provided for supporting the belt and to cooperate with the aligning memare mounted in staggered relation, the drive pulleys being secured on a shaft 1 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 32 and the idler pulleys being secured on a shaft 33 which is rotatably mounted in bearings It will be noted that the drive pulleys for belts 15 and 16 are located at the left hand end of the machine and for belt 17 at the right hand end, viewing Fig. 1. I

The return portion 35 of the belt is supported on idle rollers 36 which are rotatably supported on a shaft 37 which is mounted in brackets 38 secured to the standards 28.

r The can transfer means consist of thin disks 39 and 40 which are secured at the upper end of spindles 41 which in turn are rotatably mounted between the belts in bearings 42 mounted on legs 28. A. bevel gear 43 is secured to the lower end of the spindle for driving the disk which is in contact with the beltat all times, the disk having a sharp peripheral edge 44.

The cans are raised onto the disk by cooperation with a finger 45 or roller 46. which are fixedly secured in a position between the belts.

The heating system consists ofsteam pipes I 47 and 48 which are provided with apertures 49 in the side through which steani' is permitted to escape into the cabinet and which is directed against the sides of the cans, the pipes coincidentlyforming guards or guides for the cans and having one end flatted and arouately formed as at 50, and being oppositely disposed, each set being connected by headers 51 which are connected by a suitable supply pipe 52, the portion adjacent the headers also being arcuately formed as at 53, the portions and 53 being adapted to shift the cans into cooperation with the cam fingers 45 or roller 46.

A modification of the can shifting means is shown in Fig. 8 in which the portion is replaced by an adjustable cam '54, the cans f; cooperating with the edge 55 and being thus urged over onto the roller 46 orfinger 45.

Slots 56 permit suitable adjustment for different size cans.

The intake and discharge means are disposed on opposite sides of the machine and consist of the intake disc 57 and discharge disc 58 which are similar to the transfer discs 39 and 40, theintake disc requiring no cam finger while the discharge disc hasa finger 45 for raising the cans onto the disc.

of the groove as shown at 61 to prevent kinking of the belt at the riders, and consequent crystallization of the metal at those points.

The drive for the machine consists of a motor 62 which through suitable reduction gearing drives one of the drive pulley shafts 31, which has a bevel gear 63 secured thereon, which cooperates with a bevel gear 65 on a shaft 66, which through a pair of bevel gears 67 drives the pulley at the other end of the machine. a

'The intake and discharge discs are mounted on spindles 68 which have a bevel gear 69 secured thereon which cooperates with a bevel gear 64 on the shaft 31.

The transfer discs are driven by a pair of spiral gears 70 and 71 respectively mounted on the shaft 66 and on a transverse shaft 7 2, on the other end of which a bevel gear 7 3 cooperates with the bevel gear 43.

All bearings are outside the heating zone or cabinet, which is formed with sides 74,

ends 75, top 76 which is removable and bottom 77 slopes both ways toward the center where a drain 78 is provided.

The lower cabinet consists of downward extensions 79 of the sides, ends 80, which continue into a guard 81 passing about the pulleys and connecting with the ends 75. An opening through the machine transversely is'provided for the transfer disc drives and consists of top ends 82 and bottom'83, which seal off this opening from the cabinet. The

bearings 38 are mounted on the standards outside the cabinet as shown. as are also the pulley bearings 34. It will be noted that the only openings in the cabinet to the interior are the intake passage-at one end and the discharge passage at the other'end.

The direction of travel of the discs and belts are indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. The cans are placed on disc 57 by which they are transferred to belt 15, traveling to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 and after reaching a point adjacentthe transfer disc 40 are deflected by the portion 53 of the steam pipe or the cam 54 onto the finger 45 which raises one side of the can sufficiently to ride on the disc, which carries them about and deposits the cans 86 on the belt 17 which runs in the opposite direction to belt 15 again transferring them by means of disc 39 to belt 16 from be notedthat variations in construction and arrangement of parts which are consistent with the appended claims may be resorted to without detracting from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

1 claim:

1. A conveyor system comprising a plurality of anti-parallel continuous plane surface belts, each belt being provided on the under surface with equally spaced transverse reinforcing elements provided with a rolling element adjacent each end, said reinforcing elements coincidentaly forming alinging elements and tooth elements,- tracks cooperating with said elements for supporting and aligning the belt, a head sprocket and a tail sprocket for each belt, the tail sprocket for each belt being located beyond the head sprocket for the next adjacent belt.

2. A conveyor system comprising a plurality of anti-parallel belts having a continuous plane top surface, eachbelt being provided on the under surface with equally spaced transverse reinforcing elements provided with a rolling element adjacent each end, said reinforcing elements coincidently forming aligning elements and tooth elements, tracks cooperating with said rolling elements and with the ends of said reinforcing elements for supporting and aligning the belts, a head sprocket and a tail sprocket for each belt provided with grooves for cooperation with said elements, said head sprockets and said tail sprockets being mounted on in dividually rotatable shafts, spaced apart longitudinally relative to the belts.

3. A conveyor belt comprising an endless metal ribbon having a continuous plane suriace and provided with equally spaced, transversely disposed, reinforcing bars on the under surface, and a rolling element mounted adjacent each end of each bar, said bars forming teeth for cooperation with grooves formed in a pulley.

a. A conveyor comprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed for a continuous metal ribbon havinga plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, said teeth having rotatably mounted adjacent each end, a ball for rolling cooperation with the rail.

5. A conveyor comprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a conlinuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coineidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, said teeth having rotatably mounted adjacent each end, a ball for rolling cooperation with the rail, the rails being oppositely r isposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg.

6. A conveyor comprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a continuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, said pulleys having a fiatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue fiexure of the belt at the teeth, while the belt passes about the pulleys.

7. A conveyor con'iprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a continuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignmentby cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, the rails being oppositely disposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg, said pulleys having a flatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue fleXure of the belt at the teeth while the belt passes about the pulleys.

8. A conveyor comprising a head pulley" and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a continuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, said teeth having rotatably mounted adjacent each end, a ball for grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a continuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, said teeth having rotatably mounted adjacent each end, a ball for rolling cooperation with the rail, the rails being oppositely d1sposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg, said pulleys having a fiatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue flexure of the belt at the teeth while the belt passes about the pulleys.

10. A conveyor comprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a continuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface ooincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the beltbeing retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, said teeth comprising a body member and a head member fixedly secured together and to the inner surface of the belt, said body member having a socket formed therein adjacent each end and a ball freely rotatable in each socket, and a ball retaining plate removably secured to the body member and having apertures through which the balls project for cooperation with therail.

11. A conveyor comprising a head pulley v and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving T grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a'conveyor belt formed of a continuous metal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, the rails being oppositely disposed and having a horizontal support-ing leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond vthe ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the Vertical leg, said teeth comprising a body member and a head member fixedly secured together and to the inner surface of the belt, said body member having a socket formed therein adj acent each end and a ball freely rotatable in each socket, and a ball retaining plate removably secured to the body member and having apertures through which the balls project for cooperation with the rail.

12. A conveyor comprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, conveyor belt formed of a continuous flexure of the belt at the teeth, while the belt passes about the pulleys, said teeth comprising a body member and a head member fixedly secured together and to the inner surface of the belt, said body member having a socket formed therein adjacent each end and a ball freely rotatable in each socket, and a ball retaining plate removably secured to the body member and having apertures through which thel balls project for cooperation with the nu I 13. A conveyor comprising a head pulley and a tail pulley, each having tooth receiving grooves formed transversely of the periphery, a conveyor belt formed of a continuous nietal ribbon having a plane uninterrupted outer carrying surface, and provided with equally spaced teeth on the inner surface coincidently forming transverse reinforcing members, a supporting and aligning rail for each side of the belt and cooperating with the teeth, the belt being retained in alignment by cooperation of the ends of the teeth with the rails, the rails being oppositely disposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg, said pulleys having a fiatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue flexure of the belt at the teeth while the belt passes about the pulleys, said teeth comprising a body member and a head member fixedly secured together and to the inner surface of the Ill-C belt, said body member having a socket 14. A conveyor comprising a continuous ribbon of sheet metal having an uninterrupt ed carrying surface and adapted to withstand the heat and moisture of a can exhausting machine and present a continuous and plane sur. ace whereby tilting or rocking of cans 1s obviated when carried thereby, said ribbon having teeth coincidently forming transverse reinforcing elements, at spaced intervals and crating with said teeth, said pulleys having flatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue fiexure of the belt at the teeth while the belt passes about the pulleys.

15. A conveyor comprising a continuous ribbon of sheet metal having an uninterrupted carrying surface and adapted to withstand the heat and moisture of a can exhausting machine and present a continuous and plane surface whereby tilting or rocking of cans is obviated when carried thereby, said ribbon having teeth coincidently forming transverse reinforcing elements, at spaced intervals and having sufiicient rigidity between the teeth to maintain a substantially plane surface when loaded with cans and the belt is under normal tension while operating over a head pulley and a tail pulley, and sup porting rails cooperating with said teeth, the rails being oppositely disposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a Vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg, said teeth hav-V ing rotatably mounted adjacent each end, a ball for rolling cooperation with the rail.

16. A conveyor comprising a continuous ribbon of sheet metal having an uninterrupted carrying surface and adapted to withstand the heat and moisture of a can exhausting machine and present a continuous and plane surface whereby tilting or rocking of cans is obviated when carried thereby, said ribbon having teeth coincidently forming transverse reinforcing elements, at spaced intervals and having sufficient rigidity between the teeth to maintain a substantially plane surface when loaded with cans and the belt is under normal tension while operating over a head pulley and a tail pulley, and supporting rails cooperating with said teeth, the rails being oppositely disposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg, said pulleys having a flatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue flexure of the belt at the teeth while the belt passes about the pulleys.

17. A conveyor comprising a continuous ribbon of sheet metal having an uninterrupted carrying surface and adapted to withstand the heat and moisture of a can exhausting machine and present a continuous and plane surface whereby tilting or rocking of cans is obviated when carried thereby, said ribbon having teeth coincidently forming transverse reinforcing elements, at spaced intervals and having suflicient rigidity between the teeth to maintain a substantially plane surface when loaded with cans and the belt is under normal tension while operating over a head pulley and a tail pulley, and supporting rails cooperating with said teeth, the rails being oppositely disposed and having a horizontal supporting leg and a vertical aligning leg, the sides of the belt projecting beyond the ends of the teeth and forming a guard over the vertical leg, said pulleys having a flatted portion on each side of each groove to obviate undue fiexure of the belt at the teeth while the belt passes about the pulleys, said teeth comprising a body member and a head member fixedly secured together and to the inner surface of the belt, said body member having a socket formed therein adjacent each end and a ball freely rotatable in each socket, and a ball retaining plate removably secured to the body member and having apertures through which the balls project for cooperation with the rail.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FREDERICK B. BARTELS. 

